Jamestown American Association Of University Women Receive Honors

The Jamestown Branch of the American Association of University Women received honors this year at the AAUW New York state convention held in Lake Placid.

The branch earned the Marketing the Mission Award for overall programming and the Powerful Program Award for its International Women’s Day dinner held in March in collaboration with Zonta. Dolores Thompson, Jamestown AAUW public policy chair, was given the AAUW New York state Public Policy Director’s Special Leadership Recognition Award and the branch won several other public policy awards. The branch newsletter, edited by Kathi Clark, was cited as a 2013 Newsletter of Excellence and the branch website, overseen by Kathleen Colby, branch social media chairwoman, received the AAUW state Communications Trailblazer Website Award.

Also at the convention, the branch announced individual awards to three branch members. Elaine Damsteegt and Kathi Clark were named honorees of the branch’s Educational Opportunities Fund and Barbara Russell was named Emerging Leader for the 2012-2013 year.

Barbara Russell joined AAUW in 2010 and immediately co-chaired a What’s New Fair Committee for two years. At the same time, she joined the Membership Committee and in 2012 became the branch membership vice president. Russell works as assistant dean of research and planning at Jamestown Community College.

Kathi Clark was honored for her 15 years as the What’s New Fair co-chair. Clark also edits the branch’s newsletter. Last year she was appointed as a member of the AAUW Scholarship Committee as well as becoming District One co-coordinator. Clark works for Dr. James Faulk as office manager/medical secretary.

Elaine Damsteegt, the recent Educational Opportunities Fund vice president, was honored for her many strong contributions to the branch. For the last two years, Damsteegt raised more than $1,000 per year for the branch donation to the AAUW Educational Opportunities Fund. She has also been the branch president for four years, has been membership vice president and held various What’s New Fair chair positions. She is also the District One co-coordinator. Damsteegt works as a receptionist for Dr. James Faulk.